The first cars left Mulhouse at 06h30 heading for the first special stage of the day: Pays de Montbeliard. It was a tricky challenge that combined quick sections and twisty roads with a downward stretch in the wooded countryside on the side of a hill followed by a short climb consisting of hairpins and ending with a series of quick corners on a wide road. Ideal conditions for Ludovic Caron who came out on top in his Cobra in front of the E-Type Jaguars of Philippe Giauque and Jean-Pierre Lajournade in the VHC category. In Group G the duel between Romain Rocher in his Porsche 906 and Philippe Vandroome’s Ford GT40 continued with victory going to the former. The Porsches 911 RS 2.7 L and RSR 2.8 L driven by Christophe Van Riet and Jürgen Barth scored a double in Group H while Jacques Entremont won Group I in his GR IV Ferrari 308 Mchelotto.
After a picnic lunch in the Chäteau de Pontarlier the drivers tackled the day’s second stage. Caron scored another win in his AC Cobra on a very twisty road made up of hairpins and quick corners on the side of a hill followed by Lajournade and Gaiuque in their E-Types. Rocher’s Porsche 906 scored its second victory of the day in Group G with Vandroome’s GT40 in second place. In Group H Didier Sirgue’s and Grégory Driot’s De Tomaso Panteras came out on top, and in Group I Olivier Panis won his first stage on the Tour Auto.
The third day ended with a race on the Bresse circuit attended by some 2000 spectators. Caron ran into brake problems and he was unable to fight at the front, but his fifth place was good enough to keep him in the overall lead. Into first place came another AC Cobra driven by Brit Shaun Lynn from his fellow-countryman Chris Wilson in his GT40. In Groups G, H and I Philippe Vandroome, Jürgen Barth and Olivier Panis triumphed. Thus, the former F1 driver, who will commentate on the first round of the WTCC in Marrakech next weekend, finished his second Tour Auto on a high note before handing over to rally driver Bertrand Balas.
On the fourth and second-last day of the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo the drivers will set out for Valance with three special stages along the way. The regularity fields will open the road on the final two legs of the event. Currently in the lead in this category are Alain Raynal-Christophe Figaret in their Jaguar XK 140 Roadster after the third leg.
